The Detroit Tigers had gone four weeks without winning a series, and that skid finally ended against the Minnesota Twins.
Detroit took two of three from Minnesota to pick up its first series win in the last month, a welcome turn after a rough stretch that included three walk-off losses to the Cleveland Guardians last weekend. The Tigers came back from that road trip with morale low, but they answered with a series win at home.
That mattered even more because the Twins had already hammered Detroit just a week earlier, piling up 26 runs in the first two games on their own field. This time, the Tigers flipped the script by holding Minnesota to nine runs across the three-game set.
The series also gave Detroit some needed production from a few key bats. Riley Greene and Kevin McGonigle both homered, continuing to reach base and drive in runs. Dillon Dingler also chipped in with a multi-RBI game on Wednesday, his first in what the source described as a long time, and a possible sign that his recent slump is starting to ease.
Detroit’s bullpen, which has the most blown saves in baseball, managed not to sink the team against Minnesota. That was a relief for a club that has had to absorb far too many late-game setbacks this season.
Now the Tigers get a short stay back at Comerica Park before facing the Colorado Rockies this weekend. The Rockies were the first team in baseball eliminated from playoff contention, and Detroit will try to keep this momentum going with just 16 games left in the season.
In Other News...
Tigers May Have Found A Surprise Arm In The Casey Mize Deal
The Casey Mize trade was always going to be measured by the big-league arms and names at the top, but Jackson Wolf has quietly made it worth a closer look for Detroit. Since joining the Tigers organization, the left-hander has turned in a sharp stretch of work, putting together a 1.63 ERA with 35 strikeouts in 27 2/3 innings across six appearances, a notable bounce from the rougher version the Tigers got in the deal.
Wolf was hardly a headline prospect when Detroit acquired him. He had been struggling in Triple-A El Paso with a 7.05 ERA and wasnt ranked in the Padres pipeline, which is part of what makes this early turnaround interesting for a Tigers team always looking for usable pitching depth. Whether this becomes a real role for Wolf in Detroit is still to be determined, but his recent form has given the front office an unexpected arm to keep tracking. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Suddenly Face A Wenceel Perez Problem They Can't Ignore
Wenceel Prezs season has hit an unexpected stop at exactly the wrong time for Detroit, with an orbital bone injury from a postgame workout ending his year and knocking him out of baseball activities for now. He is still rehabbing, but the Tigers have been left to sort through a roster picture that already has other moving parts, including Keider Montero headed for the paternity list.
Jack Flaherty is lined up for a simulated game and could be activated soon, while Justin Verlander is set to throw off a mound without facing hitters, so the pitching side keeps inching forward. Even so, Prezs absence lingers as a separate concern because the injury removes an outfield option the club had been counting on, and the longer he stays away from baseball work, the harder it is for Detroit to know what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Justin Verlander Just Took A Step Tigers Fans Have Been Waiting On
Justin Verlanders rehab took a noticeable turn at Comerica Park, where the veteran right-hander threw off the mound against simulated batters as he continues working back from a hamstring injury. The session was a welcome checkpoint for the Tigers, who have been waiting to see how his body responds after the setback, and the early read was encouraging with his velocity and intensity both standing out.
Detroit still has not put a specific return date on Verlander, but the club remains hopeful he can make a late-season appearance if the ramp-up keeps trending in the right direction. Jack Flaherty also took part in a simulated game as he works his way back from right flexor tendon inflammation, giving the Tigers two important rehab watch points as they try to sort out the final stretch of the season. [Read more 🡒]